The Double Bender
by Sarcastic Texan
Summary: After the Equalist revolution, Team Avatar is winding down and going their own ways, leaving Bolin all alone in Republic City and reducing him to spending all of his time at the bending arena. So what happens when a mysterious earthbender crashes into his life with rumors of a new rebellion and an ability that defies everything Team Avatar thought they knew? BolinxOC
1. Slow Beginning

**A/N: I do not own The Legend of Korra, never have, never will, and this story is completely conjured from my twisted imagination. I hope you don't hate it.**

* * *

After the Equalist revolution, Bolin was kind of a public hero. He couldn't even go to his favorite noodle place without being ambushed by a squadron of screaming fans, usually girls. He would have been flattered if he hadn't been so... lonely.

Mako was almost always spending time at Air Temple Island, either making out with Korra or helping her restore people's bending.

Bolin couldn't even flirt with Asami. When she wasn't too busy sorting out the Future Industries mess that her father had left her she was off on some date with General Iroh.

Bolin sighed. Pabu was all he had left.

The brothers had bought a new apartment in the city, but they were always welcome at the arena, which was where Bolin spent most of his time nowadays. He would spend hours at the gym, lifting weights and punching earth disks into nets.

He slung his gym bag over his shoulder and left the apartment, careful to lock the door behind him and cherishing the privacy that he had never gotten when he was living above the arena. Back then, the only thing that had separated his bed from the rest of the world was a small opening and a ladder. He had left a note for Mako, like always, but he seriously doubted that the lover boy would be back before he was.

Bolin shoved his hands in his pockets, walked to the ferry, and caught a ride to the arena.

* * *

The earthbender had worked out harder than he ever had before. He was just mad, and he needed something to take his mind off of things. By the time the sun had gone down he had nearly broken every disk in the gym and ripped every net within range of his bending. His shirt was soaked through with sweat.

Be sat on a bench and drank the last of his water. _I need to take a shower_. He thought. _Yeah, I'll do that and then I'll punch some more rocks._

The arena was nearly abandoned, except for a few janitors and night guards lurking in the corridors.

Bolin found a washroom and ducked into a shower stall, slowly peeling off his sweaty clothes before turning on the hot water and steaming up the whole bathroom. His muscles hadn't ached _that_ much since his last bending match with Tahno and the Wolfbats. He hummed a jaunty tune as he scrubbed himself free of the fine layer of dust that had settled on his skin.

He rinsed, and dried off, dabbing his tanned skin with a towel provided by the arena and wrapped it around his waist.

As he reached for his gym bag, which contained an extra pair of clothes, he realized that he had left it in the training room.

Bolin wasn't embarrassed about his body. He had gone to public school for the few years before his parents had been killed, so he had been in a locker room before.

It wasn't like he had _expected_ to run into anybody who was still at the arena so late into the night.

He strode through the corridors without a care in the world, completely unprepared for what awaited him.


	2. Only a Towel

**A/N: Idonotown the Legend of Korra. Thank-you to all of my readers and the 1 person who reviewed (blue-hart, you rock!), I'm glad you like it and uh, here's Capitulo Dos.**

He heard her before he saw her. She was in _his_ gym, punching chunks of earth at targets on a wall. Bolin was entranced. She was graceful, quick, and powerful, and her movements reminded Bolin of Korra's.

She grunted as she hurled one last boulder at a target, smashing it on contact, and then shuffled over to the bench where his gym bag rested.

_What are you doing, man?_ He thought to himself. _You're acting like a creeper!_

But he didn't move. He watched as the girl brushed her long blonde hair behind her shoulder and took a long swig of water.

She sat down on the bench and took a few deep breaths.

Bolin just _looked_ at her for a long time. She was attractive at the least. She had sunshine-colored hair that fell to her hips and a petite figure that was highlighted by her clingy sleeveless shirt. She didn't have as much of a chest as Korra or Asami, but then again, they didn't have her eyes. She had the sharpest blue-grey storm cloud eyes that Bolin had ever seen. And her face—small, red lips, a slightly upturned nose, and gracefully sloping chin—made Bolin do a double take.

Earthbenders were usually tough, muscular people with dark hair and dark skin, but this girl looked like she would float away if the wind was blowing too hard.

She stood and started a few bending exercises, making fluid movements with her arms and shaking the ground with every step she took, but suddenly her body went rigid and the stony concentrated expression on her face changed.

The hairs on Bolin's neck stood up. Did she realize he was there, in the shadows of the doorway, watching her every move?

She whipped around and kicked a boulder at the doorway, snapping Bolin out of his trance and causing him to shriek in surprise.

_Yeah,_ he thought, _I'm busted._

He ducked just in time, feeling the air above his head go _whoosh_ as the chunk of rock sailed cleanly over his hunched form. The girl was in attack mode, throwing earth disks and weights across the gym at Bolin, who did his best to duck and dodge while trying to keep the towel on.

"Get _away_ from me you _pervert_!" she yelled, still launching rocks, weights, and earth coins at him.

"I... am not... a pervert..." Bolin yelled back, still dodging the volley of shrapnel that came at him.

She stopped for a moment, but kept another rock at the ready. She considered her options.

Bolin held one hand up in a gesture of surrender. The other was holding up the towel. "I'm sorry if I creeped you out, but I swear, I'm not a perv!"

"Then please explain to me why you were watching me from the shadows wearing nothing but a towel?

Bolin frowned. "I see your point, but I was coming in here for my clothes, which are in that bag on the bench behind you."

She dropped her rock and blushed. "Oh, sorry."

Bolin grabbed the bag. "No big." he shrugged. "I mean, if I were a pretty girl all alone in a big creepy place like this at night, I would probably attack anything that moved, too."

"So you think I'm pretty?"

It was Bolin's turn to blush. "Well... I... Uh..." he stammered. There was a moment of silent pause between them. He looked up and she was staring at him, eyes blazing, searching his face for an emotion. "I'm gonna go put on some pants." he finally gulped out.

The girl smiled a little, holding in a bit of laughter. "Good idea."

As he half-walked/half-ran away, the girl called after him.

"The name's Lena!" she yelled. "What's yours?"

"Bolin!" he called back.

She watched as he turned the corner and disappeared.

"Bolin." she said to herself.


	3. Narook's Seaweed Noodlery

**A/N: I don't own the Legend of Korra, blah blah blah...**

The next day, Bolin woke up at the crack of dawn and headed over to the arena after sharing a quick breakfast with Pabu. As he headed out, he took a quick peek into Mako's room, finding his brother snoring on his bed, fully clothed and still wearing shoes. _At least Korra's keeping him busy._ He thought with a small smile.

His brother's room looked like a Republic City Landfill. Papers covered with Mako's sloppy scrawl and maps marked over with permanent ink were tacked to the walls, and meaningless junk was randomly strewn across the floor. Bolin wondered how Mako managed to move around the room without detonating a land mine.

He closed the door and took the first ferry to the arena. As he rode over, he looked out into the great blue expanse of sea and sky. In the east, the rising sun painted the clouds beautiful shades of pink and orange, almost causing Bolin to sign in wonder. He caught himself. Why was he acting so weird?

_Oh yeah_, he thought, _Lena_.

* * *

She arrived a little before the arena was officially open, around 9:00. She toted a plain gray bag with the symbol of the earth kingdom emblazoned on the side, and as she walked, Bolin noticed, there was a jaunty spring in her step. She waved to him and walked over, surprise playing through her eyes but disappearing just as quickly.

"So they let you in early, too?" she asked.

"Yeah." Bolin shrugged. "My brother and I are good friends with the owner, and we, uh, used to live here." She raised an eyebrow. "You know, before the Equalists took over and everything."

A look of sympathy quickly crossed Lena's face and then disappeared. "I heard about that. I actually moved here just a few weeks ago."

"Why?" Bolin asked. "Republic City is great, but it's not an ideal place to live with the Revolution _just_ ending and with all of those Equalist rebels running around."

"I needed a change of scenery." Lena answered simply. "My entire family is a group of nomads back in the earth kingdom. I have six siblings and no space."

Bolin whistled. "All I have is my brother Mako, and too much space."

An uneasy silence settled over the two.

"So, uh, how long have you been here?" Lena asked, cursing her horrid attempt at small talk.

"A couple of hours. I usually have this whole gym to myself."

"Oh," Lena said, "I can leave if you want me to."

"No!" Bolin said a little too quickly. He cleared his throat. "I mean, you can stay here as long as you like."

"Cool. I'm just glad today, you're fully clothed."

They both did their regular routines, only ever so often, they'd cast a casual glance at the other when they thought they weren't looking.

Lena found it hard to take her eyes off of him, even in the heat of her bending. And her heart—why was it pounding so hard?

Bolin hardly made an effort to stop looking—at her undeniable bending skill, at her graceful movements, at _her_.

A few times, their eyes met and they held each other's gaze for a few awkward but precious moments, as if daring the other to look away.

When they took another break an hour later, Bolin checked the clock and realized that he should probably go home to check on Pabu.

He cleared his throat. "Listen, I kinda have to be somewhere, but maybe you and I could get lunch later?" Bolin asked in the most casual voice he could muster.

Lena smiled. "I would really like that. Meet me outside at 11:30."

* * *

Bolin had done his share of dating, so he knew perfectly well that no girl was _ever_on time. He had come to _expect_ lateness, in fact. So he was more than surprised when Lena strode through the golden doors of the arena as the clocks on Aang Memorial Island chimed at precisely 11:30.

She wore a simple green tunic over dark leggings. Her hair was tied back in a long ponytail and an ash grey jacket was pulled over her shoulders.

As they walked to the ferry, Bolin did his best to make small talk.

"It's a nice day, huh?" he said.

"Yeah, beautiful." Lena observed. "It was never _this_ nice in the earth kingdom." she paused. "And I've never seen so much water in one place."

"You should see the southern water tribe. That's where my friend Korra's from. We visited her family there after the Revolution."

Lena stopped. "Korra? As in, AVATAR Korra?"

Bolin shrugged. "Yeah, she's on my pro-bending team."

Lena shoved him. "SHUT UP! That's huge!"

Bolin rubbed his shoulder and laughed. She was stronger than she looked.

"So you guys must be the Fire Ferrets!" she exclaimed, mind racing.

Bolin nodded.

"You guys were _huge_ in Ba Sing Se!" Lena marveled. "I mean, we had pro-bending in a few of the major cities, but everyone loved listening to you guys play on the radio!"

Bolin gave a her a coy smile. "Yeah, my brother and I are a pretty big deal here in Republic City."

Lena laughed.

They boarded the ferry just as it started pulling away from the dock.

"So what are you in the mood for, Lena?" Bolin asked. "Barbecue, noodles, dumplings? You can find anything in this city."

"I was thinking noodles." Lena said. "I know this great place just off Main Street called-"

"Narook's Seaweed Noodlery?" Bolin asked hopefully.

Lena nodded, surprised. "Yeah, it's my favorite."

Bolin's smile grew wider. "Mine, too!"

As they walked in, Narook greeted them.

"Bolin! Lena!" he called from the counter. "My two best customers! So nice to see you two together! Sit anywhere you like!"

They chose a table near the back window and sat across from each other. The restaurant was relatively empty. The only customers were a group of old men sitting in the opposite corner, a small family of waterbenders, three metalbending officers on lunch break, and two cab drivers who wore the common but distinguishable cabby-hat and long coats.

They both ordered their usual and started eating (Bolin clumsily and Lena noisily).

"What's that?" Bolin asked, eyeing the bowl of green noodles in front of Lena.

"Cactus Juice Soup." Lena said, finishing her second bowl. "It's really strong but I've been eating it my whole life. Wanna try?"

Bolin accepted the challenge. He swallowed the noodles and almost gagged. "Yeah, I think I'll just stick to seaweed noodles."

"So tell me about the Fire Ferrets." she said. "I tried to catch every match I could, but I've only heard you play a few times."

"Well, I guess we're a pretty straightforward group." he replied, "One earthbender, one firebender, and one waterbender, as regulated." He started on another bowl of noodles, and noticed that Lena wasn't appalled by his sloppy table manners like most girls usually were. He swallowed and continued. "We actually had a different waterbender at the beginning of the season-a real jerk, Hasook. He bailed on us and Korra took his place at the last minute.

"She must be so wonderful." Lena said thoughtfully. "Mastering three elements at seventeen and coming here to stop the revolution." Lena sighed in wonder.

"You kind of remind me of her, actually." Bolin said.

"Really? How?"

"You're stubborn-I can already tell. And you're not easily intimidated." Bolin replied, flashing her the big green eyes that made the stadium girls go nuts.

The corners of Lena's mouth twitched upward.

"What's it like in the earth kingdom? I've never been outside the city." Bolin asked.

"It's big." Lena began. "And... earthy. It's got a little bit of everything, and I guess that's what I miss the most. You've got Ba Sing Se and Omashu, the huge, busy cities where it's impossible _not_ to feel overwhelmed, the little farming villages where everyone's willing to put up a room for the night or have you over for dinner, and the swamps, deserts, and forests, where you never see the same thing twice."

"_That_ sounds amazing." Bolin said, getting the feeling that Lena felt a little homesick.

She shrugged his suspicions away. "My family is nomadic, so we never stay long enough to get attached to anything or anyone."

She realized how depressed she sounded and quickly tried to change the subject.

"What about you?"

"Hm?" he said through a mouth full of seaweed noodles.

"What's your family like? Your brother, Mako?"

"He's... Well, he's Mako. He's the responsible older brother type, I guess. Very overprotective."

Lena smiled at him. "Well, like you said, I'm not easily intimidated. I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Lena, never one to pry, didn't ask him anything about the parents he'd never known, and for that he was grateful.

Bolin didn't feel like telling his sob story on the first date.

Date? Was that what this was? A _date_?

Bolin hoped it was.

After seven bowls of seaweed noodles and five bowls of cactus juice soup, they split the bill and left.

Lena remained silent for most of the walk until she glanced behind them and edged a little closer to Bolin.

"Bolin, do you have a fan club?" Lena asked casually as they walked down the street.

"Not that I know of. Why?" Bolin asked. He tried not to notice the small space between his hand and hers.

"Not to alarm you, but those cabbies from the restaurant have been following us for at least seven blocks." Lena whispered.

As they turned around a corner, Bolin glanced over his shoulder and noticed the same two people from the restaurant tailing them.

After another moment, Bolin pulled Lena into an alleyway, grasping her forearm. She hoped he didn't notice how hot her skin was. "We have to ditch them." he said under his breath, "Just follow me." Lena followed Bolin silently through the maze of backstreets and shady corners until he led them to a dead end.

"I thought you knew where we were going!" Lena hissed.

"Me too." Bolin squeaked.

They both turned around to face the oncoming assailants.

"Who are you? Why are you following us?" Lena yelled at them.

"Haven't you guessed?" the one on the right said in a sinister tone. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing an Equalist glove.

"Equalists." Bolin spat.

Lena murmured a cuss under her breath.

"Stand back, Lena." Bolin whispered to her, taking up a fighting stance.

"I can hold my own, Bolin. I'm not afraid of getting dirty." Lena said in a low voice, mirroring his position.

He hesitated. "Okay. I'll get the one on the left, you get the one on the right.

Lena nodded, then launched into a full-force attack.


	4. Lena's Secret

**A/N: I suck at action scenes so I hope I didn't do a horrible job at this. Thanks for all of the views and I hope that you guys keep reading. Review, please and, uh, blah blah blah. Oh yeah, I don't own the Legend of Korra, and since this is my first fic and I don't really know what to do I'm just gonna keep putting that at the beginning of every chapter so... yeah.**

* * *

Bolin threw two quick shots at Lefty and stepped back, while Lena initiated a deadly game of boulder-dodge-ball with Righty. Righty advanced, gloved hand extended, and a fistfight ensued.

Bolin turned his attention back to Lefty, who advanced. He threw three swift punches at Bolin's arm, but Bolin threw a wall of rock at the Equalist and sent him sprawling on the ground.

"They're chi blockers, Lena. Be careful!" Bolin called.

Lena nodded before landing a walloping punch on Righty's jaw, which made a sickening crunching noise as Righty recoiled and tried to shock her with his glove. Lena gracefully dodged with a flip backwards. She hurled more chunks of stone at Righty, eventually catching him off guard long enough for her to land a kick to his groin. Righty was down for the count.

Meanwhile, Lefty was back again. Lefty went in for the chi blocking moves, punching and kicking at Bolin, who struggled to stay away from the blur of Lefty's fists. Bolin created two spinning disks out of earth, much like the coins provided at the arena, and shot them at Lefty's arms, satisfied when each of them met their target. The chi blocker cried out in pain, but still came at Bolin with powerful kicks. Bolin raised his arms and began to manipulate the earthy foundation that many of the buildings of Republic City rested on. Suddenly the ground under Lefty's feet opened up and swallowed the Equalist, trapping his arms and legs as Bolin created a perfect Equalist-sized fissure in the ground.

Bolin and Lena rushed to each other.

"Are you—" Lena began.

"Okay?" Bolin breathed.

She let out a breathy laugh. "I'm great." she smiled.

"Never been better." he replied.

His green eyes met her gray ones. Her face was smeared with dust and grime. His hair was tousled from the fight and sticking out at odd angles. It didn't matter.

Before he even knew what he was doing, Bolin found himself locked in a passionate kiss with Lena, who was caught off guard for a moment even though she wanted it just as much as he did. She kissed back, placing her hands on the back of his neck, a spot that always drove him crazy. He put one hand on her cheek and one hand on her waist without even realizing it, which just made the kiss even sweeter.

As they pulled away, Lena found herself laughing.

"What's so funny?" Bolin asked, unsure of weather to laugh with her or to be offended.

"Nothing, I'm just-Look out!"

Lena pushed Bolin to the ground as Righty came at him from behind.

Lena held her hands out and bent everything she had at Righty, sending him flying down the alleyway into the shadows.

But it wasn't earth that sent Righty sprawling. No, Bolin's jaw dropped as he realized that Lena had just _airbent_. She began to panic. It was a defensive move she had practiced many times before, just never in front of another person.

Bolin was stunned. "Lena, what just—"

"Bolin, duck!" Lena shouted. She knew she was too late as the crisp sound of electricity buzzed through the air.

Righty was back sooner than she had expected. Lena cast a worried glance at Bolin, who was now laying the ground, weaving in and out of consciousness. His face was contorted in pain.

She whipped around and faced Righty.

"You'll pay for that." Lena said through gritted teeth.

Her hair whipped around her face as a mini windstorm blew through the alleyway, kicking up dust and debris and sending it swirling around the equalist, who suddenly found it hard to breath.

This had _not_ been part of his job description.

The Equalist crumpled to the ground, clutching his throat as the oxygen was ripped from his lungs.

"Listen close and listen carefully." Lena said, face contorted in rage. "You're getting off lucky this time—I'm letting you go. But remember this—you mess with Bolin, you mess with me. Leave him _alone_."

The last thing he saw was the bottom of Lena's shoe coming down on his face.


	5. Another Towel

**A/N: Yeah sorry I didn't post this chapter as quickly as I posted the others. I was touching up the last 4 chapters, just adding a little more dialogue and smoothing a few rough edges. I don't own LoK, yadda yadda yadda, oh yeah and please review!**

* * *

As Lena looked down at the unlucky man who had fallen victim to her rage, she felt a pang of guilt. Suddenly she heard a low groan coming from behind, and she remembered Bolin. Any hint of remorse she had felt before was now gone.

Lena rushed over to Bolin, who lay face down on the ground. She turned him over, checked his pulse, and waited for him to regain consciousness.

"Lena?" he said weakly.

"Right here, Bolin." she replied with a reassuring smile.

"What happened back there?"

Lena frowned and bit her lip, searching for the right words to say. "I'll tell you later." she finally said. "But right now, I need to take you home."

Bolin nodded in agreement, darkness clouding his vision once again.

"Bolin?" Lena said anxiously. "Bolin, I need you to tell me where you live so I can take you there, okay? Bolin? Come on, stay with me."

Bolin murmured his address and dropped out of consciousness once again.

Lena sighed. She dragged Bolin's bulky form into an upright position. She kneeled down, carefully laid him over her shoulder, and stood up shakily, unused to such a heavy burden.

She calculated the distance between her and the apartment. Almost two miles away. Lena sighed again. It would be a long walk home.

* * *

Miraculously, half an hour later, Lena arrived at Bolin's apartment, where she scaled twenty flights of stairs to reach his door. She knocked on it impatiently. After a moment and no sign of activity on the other side, she kicked it in.

Lena took a quick glance at her surroundings. The walls were whiteish-grey and adorned with posters of pro-bending teams Lena had never paid any attention to. To her left was a kitchen area, to her right a bathroom, and straight ahead was a living area.

"Bo, is that you?" a voice called from the bathroom.

Lena grunted as she struggled under Bolin's weight.

"Bo?" the voice called again.

Lena didn't know how to reply.

"Who's out there?"

Before Lena could respond, a tall male with dark hair and brown eyes charged out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. His expression darkened when he noticed Bolin slung over her shoulder. "What did you do to my brother?"

"Nothing!" Lena said defensively.

Bolin's brother raised an eyebrow. _This must be Mako._ She thought.

"Look, I'd like to sit and chat, but right now, Bolin needs a healer." Lena said impatiently.

Mako raised his fists, as if expecting a fight. "If you hurt him—"

"We were ambushed by some Equalists in an alleyway—I had nothing to do with this." Lena said.

Mako shot her a suspicious look, then disappeared into the bathroom and emerged thirty seconds later, fully clothed.

"Stay here. I'm going to get help. I'll be back in ten minutes." he said. He disappeared through the doorway, leaving a flustered Lena to stumble through the apartment until she found Bolin's room.

She kicked his door in too, as she was unable to twist the knob while also carrying Bolin. She gently laid him down in his bed and, unsure of what to do next, pulled a chair up to his bedside and sat down. Lena watched his face for any sign of movement.

After a few minutes, Bolin stirred.

"Mmm... Lena?" he asked groggily.

"Yeah, Bolin, it's me." Lena said.

"Where are we?" he wondered aloud.

"We're at your apartment. I brought you home. Your brother's finding you a healer in the city. He'll be back soon." Lena replied in a reassuring tone.

Bolin nodded silently. "Hey, Lena?" he said with a frown as something popped into his memory, "Were you _airbending_ back in the alleyway?"

"Yeah." she wouldn't deny it. He had seen too much.

"So how can you... How long have you..." Bolin couldn't think of the right words to say. His mind was going foggy again, but Bolin was confident that he wouldn't pass out.

"It's something I've been able to do since I was a little girl." Lena's voice trailed off. Her eyes watered. She had never tried to explain this to anyone. "I don't want to talk about it."

Bolin wanted to question her further, but he knew that was a line he shouldn't cross.

Lena sat in silence, staring at the floor. Bolin tried to move, but the pain in his back was too great. He decided to try a different subject.

"How does it feel?" she asked suddenly, eyes clouded with worry.

"It feels... Like I got whooped by some Equalists. Again."

"Again?"

"Long story. But, Lena, are _you_ okay?"

"Much better, now that I know you'll be alright."

He was touched by her words, getting the feeling that Lena wasn't the type of person who was usually this caring or affectionate.

"You know, Lena. I really like you." Bolin said, trying to keep himself from slipping into unconsciousness again. "And I know we barely know each other, but..."

Lena responded by leaning over and taking one of his hands in hers and placing her other hand on his cheek. Her face was hovering just above his.

"I feel the same way." she whispered.

His lips met with hers, and somehow, he managed to stay awake for just a bit longer.

* * *

Mako came back exactly ten minutes later, toting a girl with dark skin and brown hair in water-tribe garb. Lena gasped when she recognized her as Avatar Korra, but didn't say anything.

She led them to Bolin, who had fallen out of consciousness only a few moments before Bolin's brother and Korra had arrived.

Korra looked to Lena with a hardened gaze. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed by a couple of Equalists in an alleyway. He got shocked from behind."

They turned Bolin over, revealing a spot of blackened fibers on the back of his left shoulder.

Lena flinched as she remembered the sickening sound of electricity that had filled the air in that one horrifying moment, followed by Bolin's pained scream.

Korra bent water over the wound from a bowl Bolin's brother was holding.

Lena and Mako stood back as Korra concentrated her energy on healing the wounded earthbender on the bed.

"My name's Mako, by the way."

"Lena."

"So what were you doing with Bolin, anyways?"

"We were on a date."

"Oh, good."

"Why's that good?"

"He used to have a thing for Korra." he paused for a moment. "You said your name is Lena?"

Lena frowned. "Yeah, why?"

"I think I heard Bolin saying your name in his sleep last night."


	6. Uninvited Guests

**A/N: I'd like to say a big thank-you to all of my readers! U guys rock! Hope you enjoy this chapter, I don't own the Legend of Korra, etc.**

* * *

Lena left a few hours after Korra, around 11:00.

The dim light of the streetlamps lining the avenue illuminated Lena's slim form as she walked home. Mako watched her from the window before sighing and turning to his brother. Bolin stirred but didn't awaken.

"Bo." Mako said, gently nudging his brother. "Come on, Bolin."

Bolin's eyes opened in a flutter. "What's wrong? Is something wrong?" he looked around. "Where's Lena?"

"She went home a few minutes ago." Mako said, noting the disappointed look on his brother's face.

Bolin looked around the room, noting the dark color of the sky.

"Why'd she stay so long?" he asked, mind still foggy.

"I think she felt responsible for what happened." Mako replied.

"Oh." Bolin said, a little disappointed. "So why did you wake me up?"

Mako shrugged and plopped into the chair Lena had pulled to the side of the bed. "I want to talk to you. It's been forever since we've talked. I barely get to see you anymore."

"So what do you wanna talk about?" Bolin yawned, sitting up.

"I don't know. I didn't think that far ahead."

There was a moment of silent pause between the two brothers.

"Tell me about Lena." Mako suggested.

A fond smile crept across Bolin's face. "I don't know what to tell you, man. She's gorgeous and exciting and wonderful and…" Bolin caught Mako rolling his eyes. "Dude, you're always talking about Korra like this. And you asked!"

Mako put his hands up in submission. "You're right, Bo." Mako frowned. "But there's something about her that just… I don't know. She seems off to me. Like she's hiding something."

* * *

A small part of Lena was still afraid of the dark. It was that small part of Lena that was leftover from her seven-year-old self, but now she was sixteen and living on her own in Republic City. She was in a possible relationship with the most eligible bachelor in United Republic. She had to be brave.

She shivered as she walked home, pulling her jacket closer around her shoulders. Her apartment, which was only a few blocks away from Bolin's, was dark, but once she entered she immediately sensed the presence of another.

She fired a quick blast of air into the darkness, followed by a grunt from the intruder. The lights snapped on, revealing an Equalist sprawled across the hall floor.

"What the—" Lena's mouth was quickly covered. Before she could bend her arms were being held behind her back.

_Ambushed!_ She thought to herself. _How could I let my guard down like that?_ She kicked and flailed in an attempt to escape. It was no use.

A voice spoke into her ear from behind. "Don't even think about it, bender." Lena jerked again in the grasp of her captor, but the grip on her limbs only tightened. "Any sign of struggle and you're barbecue, got it?" the voice said.

The hand was removed from her mouth.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bend your butt out of my apartment right now." Lena spat.

The voice moved closer to her ear. "Because we know your secret."

"And..?"

"We're not afraid to use your own power against you."

Slowly, her arms were released. Lena whipped around to face her assailant. He was tall. Her age, maybe a little older. He had short auburn hair and dark eyes clouded with pain and misery. He was hot, despite the scowl that looked like it had been chiseled into his face.

"I didn't know Equalists were so young." Lena said shortly.

"I didn't know pretty girls were so aggressive." He replied.

"Aggressive doesn't even begin to describe me." Lena narrowed her eyes. "I'm your worst nightmare."

"Keep dreaming, sweetheart."

Their eyes locked, neither of them daring to look away.

Lena gave him one last glare, and then went to her kitchen to make tea.

"I'm Ryson." The Equalist called.

"Aren't Equalists supposed to remain anonymous, too?" Lena called out sarcastically. When her response was met with silence, she sighed and called back, "I'm Lena."

She sat down in the breakfast nook, stepping over the motionless body of the older Equalist lying on the ground. Ryson joined her.

"So what do you want?" Lena asked. "Most people have something to gain from blackmail."

"We simply require your cooperation, Lena." Ryson replied, folding his hands on the table. "You see, there are other ways to equalize United Republic—ways that simply require you to lay low and pretend the little _incident_ in the alleyway never happened.

"So...what? You want me to stop seeing Bolin? To stop bending?"

"All of the above."

"Why should I?"

"Because we _will_ hurt you and the ones you love—we'll expose your secret."

Lena clenched her fists.

"I'm not afraid of you. You can tell the whole world my secret—I don't care. No _Equalist_ is going to tell _me _what to do, not today, not any day. In fact, you'll be sorry you ever met me." Lena's nostrils flared as she spoke. "Now get out of my apartment."

Ryson scowled and stood. "Fine Lena...We tried to do this the easy way. Cherish the time you have now—because _this_," he gestured to the (admittedly nice) apartment Lena had rented, ", your happy carefree life with your little Earthbender boyfriend, Isn't going to last long."

With that he left the apartment, dragging along his unconscious colleague. The door slammed shut.

Lena clenched her fists for a moment, staring at the empty chair where he had been sitting.

Then she put her head on the table and cried.


	7. Morning

**A/N: Well, here's Chapter 7. This one kinda sucks, cuz it's 1:00 in the morning and I wanted to just get this update over with, so I'll probably come back and edit it later. Blah blah blah disclaimer I don't own LoK blah blah blah.**

Ryson was even in Lena's _dreams_. At first she was on another date with Bolin, strolling along the streets of Republic City, laughing, joking, his fingers interlocked with hers, and everything was going well—until an Equalist airship dropped out of the sky. Ryson emerged from the ship along with a squadron of Equalists, who attacked Bolin and knocked him unconscious.

As Lena watched in horror, she found that she was frozen in place. She couldn't move. Her arms hung uselessly against her sides, and her feet refused to work.

Ryson came and wrapped his arm around Lena's waist, scooped his other arm under her legs and carried her into the airship, as Lena screamed in protest. On the ship he brought her into a holding cell, where he dumped her on the floor and clamped the door shut.

Lena gasped in pain as she hit the cold metal floor, but she soon found that her limbs were working again and she scrambled to the window.

She watched in horror as a troupe of Equalists dragged Bolin away.

The ship took off, and Lena whipped around to face Ryson, who was chuckling in a corner. A cloud of anger passed over Lena.

She fired a blast of air at him, then another, and then another.

"I didn't tell him _anything!"_ She screamed angrily. "I did nothing wrong!" He backed away and knocked his head against a low-hanging beam in the room, and he dropped to the ground like a stone.

Lena grabbed his collar and held him up, making a fist as if to punch his lights out, but she hesitated for a moment. "What are you gonna do now, sweetheart?" Ryson asked in a pained voice. Lena was tempted to rip every last breath of air from his lungs and kill him on the spot, but she didn't have the heart to do that kind of thing. She threw him against the far wall, and he slid to the ground like a wet rag.

"We've already won." He said tauntingly. Then he passed out.

Lena woke herself with her own scream.

* * *

For the first time in almost a month, the two brothers had breakfast together.

Mako stirred a thick vat of jook in a tall pot and then spooned a heaping portion of it into a bowl with onions, soy sauce, and ginger (for taste).

Right on cue, Bolin emerged from his bedroom, scratching his head, and sat down at the table. As Mako sat the three dishes on the table, Pabu joined them.

"Hey buddy!" Bolin said to Pabu. "Where've you been?"

Pabu squeaked as a response.

"He's probably been hiding." Mako suggested. "Isn't it time for another one of his baths?"

"Oh yeah!" Bolin remembered. "I almost forgot. It's just that I've been so busy…"

"…With Lena." Mako finished for him.

They ate in silence for a moment.

"She's an earthbender, you know." Bolin said quietly.

"So I guess she won't be taking a spot on the Fire Ferrets anytime soon, as long as you're around." Mako said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was a mistake.

"Yeah, Mako, we need to talk about that." Bolin's voice took on a serious tone.

"Bo, I already told you I can't do it. I have a new job, and besides—"

"Besides, what? We can't break up the _fabulous bending brothers!_ We're a team, Mako! We could win this season!"

Mako stood up abruptly. "Bolin, I've moved on. I have more important things to do than entertain Republic City. I have a responsibility now." As Mako wrapped his scarf around his neck and made for the doorway (which was still doorless form Lena's last visit), he turned and said one last thing to Bolin. "It's time you grew up, Bolin."

Bolin sat back in his chair, wounded, watching as his brother left.

Sighing, Bolin finished his bowl of jook, then his brother's, and packed a bag. He was going to the gym.

* * *

Lena was waiting for him when he got there.

"How's that shoulder, Bolin?" she asked cheerily, though her voice was hollow and her words half-hearted.

Bolin had completely forgotten about yesterday's events. "It's still tender, but I barely notice it." He said.

Lena nodded. As they walked to their usual spot in the arena, silence fell between them.

"Is something wrong, Bolin?" Lena asked, setting her bag down and beginning her regular exercise.

Bolin sighed and sat on the bench. He told Lena every detail of the morning's events, and she listened carefully as she punched earth disks into the nets on the far side of the room.

"Gee, Bolin, I wish I could help." Lena said as he finished his story. She paused, and then added, "Your brother doesn't like me very much, does he?"

Bolin nodded. "He thinks you're hiding something."

Lena snorted. "He's got that right. And my secret's gonna _stay_ secret—" she shot Bolin a look, "—Right?"

Bolin waved his hand dismissively.

"Bolin, I'm serious." Lena said, dropping a disk she had been fixing to throw.

"And so am I!" he replied.

Lena frowned doubtfully.

Bolin stood up and grabbed both of her hands, looking into her deep stormy gray eyes.

Lena was surprised by his gesture. Her heart melted when she heard the caring tone in his voice.

"I would never tell anybody." He said.


	8. Jelousy

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've had this doc open in my computer for like a week, and I was bouncing around ideas before I just decided to shorten it and publish it. Happy August, everyone! I don't own the Legend of Korra and hopefully the next chapter will be up within the next couple of days.**

The next week rolled by in a flash. More lunch dates followed sessions at the gym, where Bolin and Lena seemed to feel most at home and comfortable around each other. Mako came with them on some occasions, feeling a bit like a third wheel but all the while trying to keep an eye on his baby brother.

Lena thought everything was going fine—until about a week and a half after the Equalists showed up in her apartment.

She was alone. It was the middle of the day, and the arena had been closed due to maintenance issues, which had most likely been caused by the new airbending move she had tried in the seclusion of the boiler room the previous night. Lena had fled the scene right around the same time that an unlucky night watchman had been clocked by a flying copper pipe.

Lena had been meaning to re-stock the food supply in her apartment, and her family had finally sent her the monthly supplement of yuans she had been expecting for days.

Lena went to the marketplace dressed in an old hand-me-down hooded jacket that her second sister had given her as a going-away present, although Lena suspected that Aia had just wanted to get rid of it.

She was fixing to pay for a basket of fruit when she spotted Bolin across the square, though before she could call him over to her, she noticed he was with another girl. She had long, flowing black hair that went down to her slim waist. She had full, red lips and enticingly warm eyes. She was pretty. No, that was an understatement. She was a _knockout_.

Lena felt a pang of jealousy, watching the two laugh and joke around. She quickly put the hood on, paid for her food, and sunk into the crowd, where she moved as discreetly as possible among the masses and followed the two down the street.

At first, Lena felt silly, stalking her boyfriend (Boyfriend?) and some girl she didn't know, and thought that maybe she had overreacted, although any doubt she had was erased when she saw Bolin buy her a fire lily.

The girl giggled and tucked the flower behind her ear and the pair strolled away.

Lena bit back a scream. She wasn't sad, or depressed. She was angry.

_The nerve of that jerk!_ She thought to herself as she stormed home. _I'll show him he messed with the wrong girl._

* * *

Bolin had enjoyed catching up with Asami for the day, but he felt like he should have been with Lena, instead. He missed her.


	9. Good Advice

**A/N: So here's the next one. Blah I don't own the Legend of Korra blah, and I hope you guys don't totally hate me for that last chapter. Hope this makes up for it...**

It was either sheer luck or an act of the spirits that she found the exact person she was looking for.

After three hours of wading through the bustling streets of Republic City and ducking into every pub she walked by, she found him.

_Him_ with his tousled coppery hair and his unforgettable borderline-black eyes. _Him_, who now, in the light of day, was even more handsome than before, if at all possible. _Him_, with his scowl that turned into a surprised O when he saw Lena striding confidently towards him.

Ryson was more than surprised. He was _terrified_.

He ducked into a crowd of tourists and tried to escape, but Lena was determined and she caught up with him quickly.

As casually as possible, Lena slipped her arm around his and put on a cheery smile, not wanting to make a scene.

Ryson froze like a deer in the headlights.

His Equalist training hadn't covered delicate situations like this. All they'd told him was, _"Here's a dangerous weapon. Go threaten some benders with it and electrocute anyone who gets in your way." _And that was literally all they'd said. The Equalist empire had really fallen since Amon's disappearance, and he didn't even have a clue as to what the big bad _"Secret Weapon" _was.

"Ryson? Ryson is that you?!" she said in a bubbly voice. "Long-time-no-see! Where've you been?" Ryson snapped back to reality.

The pair got a few bemused looks from a few passerby's but other than that, they were completely ignored by the rest of the crowd.

Ryson was caught off guard for a moment but he regained his composure and mimicked her cheerful tone.

"Why, Lena! It's been ages!"

To any other citizen in Republic City, they would be old friends meeting up for the first time in years.

They continued their act for the next few blocks before ducking into a restaurant.

There, Ryson pulled a protesting Lena into the bathroom.

As he locked the door behind them, Lena asked in a hushed tone, "What are you doing?"

She was blushing, just a tiny bit.

Admittedly it was a nice bathroom, with potted plants and cushioned benches. It smelled like money.

"I think the real question here, Lena, is what are _you_ doing?" Ryson hissed. "How did you find me and what do you want?"

What was she going to tell him? That her boyfriend (Boyfriend?) was messing around behind her back and she needed a plan B?

That was weak.

"I was bored, and you looked single." Lena perched a hand on her hip. She pretended to examine her grimy earthbender fingernails as she casually added, "So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get some dinner later?"

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Ryson give her a quizzical look.

"You know, with me? And some food? At a restaurant?" She added.

Lena was terrible at flirting, almost the exact opposite of her sisters in the Earth Kingdom, who left a trail of broken hearts behind in every city they stopped in.

"Lena, what do you _really_ want?"

"I just want to share a few laughs with a cute guy over dinner. Is that too much to ask?" She lied.

He raised an eyebrow. Lena flinched. Unlike her sisters, Lena was also a terrible liar.

"All right…" She confessed after a moment of squirming under Ryson's acid glare. "I think Bolin's seeing someone else." She murmured.

Ryson let out a breathy laugh. Lena was caught off guard. She had expected him to be disappointed.

_Ouch._

__"It's not funny!" She said, her voice raising to an agitated yell. She released a puff of air at him, gentle enough so that he wasn't hurt but strong enough to knock him against the wall.

"That's it?" he asked. " You think your boyfriend—" Lena winced, "—is cheating on you, so you throw yourself at the next guy you see?"

Lena considered his words carefully.

"You weren't the first guy I saw! I've been looking for you for hours!" Lena said defensively. _Yeah, that probably didn't help __anything_. Lena thought.

"Oh? So you _looked_ for me?" Ryson asked. His tone was a little too flirtatious for Lena's comfort.

Lena groaned and put her face in her hands. "That's not what I meant. I was angry and confused and... and... You were the first guy who popped into my mind!"

Ryson rolled his eyes.

"And besides-" Lena added, "I saw you checking me out the night you broke into my apartment."

Ryson was silent. He didn't deny it, although he also didn't like the idea of being anyone's second choice.

Lena sighed. "Look, Ryson, I'm sorry. I'm just... really hurt right now, and I'm just trying to keep myself from doing anything I'll regret."

"You mean, like contacting the Equalist who broke into your house and ambushed you in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do."

Ryson snorted.

An uneasy silence fell between the two.

"Lena, I'm telling you this as a friend, not as an Equalist." Ryson said gently. "You're a great girl. You make bad decisions, like anyone else, and apparently so did Bolin. Go find him and just tell him how you feel."

The barest hint of a smile crossed Lena's face.

"And if that bimbo really _is_ cheating on you... well, then I guess you know how to find me." Ryson said with a wink.

As he turned to leave, Lena put her hand on his shoulder and planted a light kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Sometimes I just need a reality check."

Ryson nodded. "And remember, Lena." He took on a menacing tone. "We're watching."

His face was shrouded in shadow as he backed out of the restroom into the busy restaurant, where he slipped into the crowd and disappeared.

The door shut quietly behind him.


	10. The Confrontation

**A/N: Yeah, this is another short chapter. Sorry. The next one will be longer, I promise. Now that I know what "fluff" is, I realize I write a lot of BolinxLena fluff, so I apologize if you're not that into that kind of stuff. I don't own the Legend of Korra, as I have said in all the 9 other chapters before this one. Do you think the story is moving to slow? Review, please.**

In retrospect, Lena probably shouldn't have kicked the new door in, but at the time she thought it would emphasize her point.

Mako burst into the hall, ready for action, then caught sight of Lena, who stood in the doorway and gave him a friendly wave, waiting for a proper invitation inside.

Mako sighed, rolled his eyes, and called out, "Bo, Lena's here!" then turned and disappeared into his own room.

Bolin appeared out of nowhere, beckoning Lena inside. He wore nothing but a pair of pants, highlighting the earthbender muscle he had built up after years and years of training.

"Sorry, I, uh, wasn't expecting you." Bolin stammered as he pulled a shirt over his rippling muscles.

Momentarily, Lena forgot why she was there.

Then she shook herself into reality and replied coldly, "It's okay. I don't plan on staying for long."

"Why? Do you wanna go out or—"

"Actually, we need to talk." Lena interrupted.

Bolin frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Lena got there first.

"Bolin, I was in the market today," she paused here for dramatic effect like a teacher lecturing students, "and I saw something really interesting."

Bolin stayed silent. He knew that the only thing that angered an angry woman more than telling her to shut up and stop yammering about her problems was to interrupt her psychotic rant.

"She was about 5'7", had wavy black hair... and clinging to your arm like a stray goat-dog." There was a mixture of hostility and bitterness in her voice.

She crossed her arms as Bolin racked his brain for an answer. It finally came to him.

"You mean Asami?" he stammered.

"Is that her name?" she probed even further. "I saw you two together. You seemed to be having a _really great time._" she said the last few words through clenched teeth.

Bolin almost laughed at the thought of him and Asami, as a _couple_, then caught Lena's death glare and gulped. "Asami is a friend. She used to go out with Mako. We haven't seen each other in a month and she ran into me in Central City Station."

"Is that it? Is that all you have to say?" her words were heavy and her voice faltered. She looked away.

Bolin put his hands on Lena's shoulders, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were cloudy. "Lena, I swear, Asami is just a friend. Nothing more. Nobody could ever replace you."

And he meant it. Before, Bolin had always thought of relationships as disposable, useless things that were just a way to pass time and could be forgotten. He had barely known Lena for two weeks and he felt as though they had been together for a lifetime. He really _couldn't_ life without her.

_Is it really possible that I'm... No. Slow down, man._ He told himself.

Lena looked at him for a moment, her lips a thin line, and then let out a relieved sigh. She wrapped her arms around his chest in a tight embrace. "Now don't ever do that to me again you jerk." Bolin hugged her right back.

**A/N: I've decided that the next chapter will be another one of Lena's dreams, only with more action sequences. Your thoughts? Please review!**

**Another A/N: And I also go back and edit chapters after I've posted them, so you might want to go back and see if I've changed anything I've written. Sorry, I'm whimsical. **


	11. When Lena left the Earth Kingdom

**A/N: Yeah I lied about there being action in this chapter. Mostly dialogue, and I apologize for taking so long to write it. I don't own the Legend of Korra, and I hope you enjoy this one.**

**P.S. Lena has six siblings, all of them older than her. Her sisters are Aleia, Aia, Ashi, and Anden, and her brothers are Arnd and Art. In case I confuse you.**

Lena's last day with her family in the Earth Kingdom still haunted her.

She was pretty sure that her parents hadn't been expecting her to leave like she had threatened to so many times before, judging by their expressions when she ducked out of her tent that morning with a bag slung over her shoulder and a determined look on her face.

Three of her four sisters were sitting by the stream, washing dirty clothes in the clear, cool running water, and both of her brothers were nowhere to be seen. Grandma was still asleep; Lena could hear her snoring.

"I'm leaving." Lena said in a voice as hard as stone.

Her mother stood up. "Lena," she pleaded, "Be reasonable! Stay with us, where you'll be safe."

Lena shook her head and brushed her mother's hand away, which she had extend as if to pat her on the shoulder. "That's the problem, mother. If I stay here, I may be safe, but I'll never be happy. I can't keep hiding."

Her father, a grizzly man made of muscle and a beard which exceeded his beltline, came over to join them. "But you're not hiding. You're simply... keeping a low profile." Lena scoffed, but her father continued. "As long as you're a... a _double bender_, people will come after you. They'll try to hurt you!"

"I can protect myself, dad." Lena said harshly. "And why? Why would they try to hurt me?"

"Because you're different!" his words rang through air.

Grandma had stopped snoring. Her sisters were watching the scene unfold before them, unsure of what to do.

"I love you guys." She said. "But if I'm ever gonna grow up, I need to get out."

She kissed her mother on the cheek, gave her father a hug, and waved to her sisters at the stream, who were stunned and speechless.

"Tell Arnd and Art I said goodbye." Lena said, referring to her two older brothers. "And Grandma and Aleia, too."

Halfway down the road with the campsite nearly out of sight, Aia had caught up with Lena.

"Wait!" she said breathlessly. She held out her gray jacket to Lena, an offering. "Take it. I want you to have something to remember me by."

Lena took it, a smile spreading warmth across her face, which had been numb from frowning.

Aia waved and ran back to the streamside, where her laundry sat in a dirty pile.

Lena would admit that Aia could be a pain in the neck, but she would miss her. Ashi and Anden, too.

As she walked towards United Republic, memories flooded into her mind.

Lena remembered the first time she lost a tooth, wrestling with her older brothers when she was only five years old.

She remembered Grandpa's funeral, and how she wondered why the sky looked so pretty on a day so sad.

But most of all, she remembered the day she got her bending—the day she became a _double bender_.

* * *

The sky was yellow, as was the landscape around her. She didn't know where she was.

One moment, she had been kneeling by a spring, taking a drink of water, and the next she was here.

6-year-old Lena looked around in confusion. In the distance, she noticed a human form, though as she approached it, it was... a monkey?

The monkey was meditating, humming even.

"Excuse me?" Lena implored.

The monkey's humming became more agitated and urgent, as though it was trying to ignore her.

"Hey monkey!" Lena yelled.

The monkey opened its eyes and glared at her.

"What do you want?" he huffed, uncrossing his legs and crossing his arms.

"I want to know where I am. Why was I brought here?"

"You're in the spirit world, child." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you the Avatar?"

Lena was baffled. "What? No! The Avatar is a Water Tribe girl." Lena gestured to her dusty hand-me-down clothes. "I'm obviously Earth Kingdom."

The monkey snorted. "Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe, none of that will matter in a few hundred years."

Lena stamped her foot in frustration, splattering mud on her leg. "Well why am I here?! I don't have time to sit here and talk to a cranky monkey all day!"

"Watch your language, girl. You're talking to a spirit here."

"You? A spirit?"

"The Odd Spirit, thank you very much."

"Well then, oh Odd Spirit, why was I brought here?" Lena asked a third time.

"How should I know? They never tell me anything! Maybe you've angered the other spirits. Maybe you're not fulfilling your destiny." He paused to throw his arms up dramatically. "You should talk to Koh. Maybe he'll tell you." The monkey gestured towards an immense, twisted tree in the distance.  
Before Lena could question the Odd Spirit further, he moved away from her, clearly indicating the end of the conversation.

Lena had heard stories of Koh from her Grandmother, who had been bitter towards the spirit ever since he had stolen her Grandfather's face.

"If you ever find yourself in the Spirit World, venturing into the Realm of Koh," Grandmother would warn Lena and her siblings, "Do not show any emotion in his presence, or he will steal your face." And then Grandma's eyes would become watery and distant, remembering Grandfather and how the love of her life was stolen from her.

Lena skipped across the series knobby earth platforms that acted as stepping stones towards the spirit's lair.

_This is it._ Lena thought to herself. _No emotion. Just keep a straight face._ Lena peered into a dark hole at the base of the tree, presumably the entrance to Koh's domain.

Lena gulped, brought her hand to her cheek, as if to test her expression, then started to climb down.

The cave under the tree was an earth-packed tunnel veined with tree roots.

Lena whipped around as something moved behind her.

"Koh?" she called out.

"Yes?" answered a sleepy voice behind her.

Lena spun around and found herself face-to-face with a centipede-like creature wearing a Noh mask. Koh, no doubt.

She was surprised, but she kept her expression passive.

"The Odd Spirit told me you could help me."

"And why would you need my help?" this time a brown-feathered owl spoke to her through its small beak. Koh had changed faces, trying to catch Lena off guard.

"I was brought to the spirit world and I don't know why. I came for answers."

Koh chuckled and slithered around Lena, like a snake ready to coil around its prey. "Yes, Lena. I know you." his face changed to that of a familiar old man with a wrinkled, leathery face and bushy caterpillar eyebrows. "I knew your grandfather, as well." Lena almost raised her eyebrows, but caught herself.

"I see much pain in your future. Suffering. Humiliation." Koh said through Grandfather's face.  
Lena cringed, then put her poker face back on before Koh could turn around and catch her off guard. "You will have to make a choice that will make you decide between your loved ones or the one you love." Koh's centipede form inched closer to Lena's face, until their noses were almost touching. "And you will have power. Great power. That will either do great good or great harm to the world."

Then Koh did something Lena _really _didn't expect: He leaned forward and tapped his forehead against Lena's, causing a blinding flash of light to spread throughout the cave.

Then, when the light faded, Lena found herself on a cliff, overlooking a valley in the real world.

Lena let out a breath of relief. _I'm back._ Lena thought with a sigh of relief. She put her hands on her hips then looked around. "Now how do I get home from here?" Lena asked aloud.

* * *

And after that, Lena's airbending and earthbending powers came slowly but surely, trickling into Lena's life. Only a year after her visit to the spirit world Lena could already lift boulders fifty feet in the air and create tornadoes that could tear through villages in a matter of minutes.

But Koh's words still haunted Lena. They would for the rest of her life.


	12. The Weapon

**A/N: Ugh so yeah this is the best I could come up with. I'm kind of agitated because now I'm looking under the Bolin tag in LoK stories and it looks like a lot of people are copying my idea for a "double bender" and that's kind of irritating. Not all of the people, but a lot. But yeah, I don't own the Legend of Korra. Sigh. I'm kind of running out of ideas, so a review would be helpful. Anyways, enjoy!**

"Bolin, are we a couple?"

The earthbender's eyebrows shot up. He was caught.

Bolin didn't really know how to label his relationship with Lena. Back in the pro-bending season, whenever he found a girl he liked, they went on a couple of dates and then broke up. Either she was always too clingy or he realized she was just a whack job.

With Lena, it was totally different. She laughed at his jokes. She listened to him. She really _understood_ him. In turn, it was nice to know that she trusted him with such a big secret, although a part of Bolin just _ached_ to run to Tenzin and tell him the truth about Lena and her _real _bending abilities.

He leaned on her and she leaned on him, and both of them got something out of the relationship.

And the kissing was nice. It was _very_ nice.

Lena repeated her question.

"I… I… I guess I kinda thought we already were." Bolin stammered.

Lena smiled. "Good answer."

* * *

A cold, mechanical screech echoed through the tunnel, but the Lieutenant didn't cover his ears. He couldn't show weakness. Not now. Not when the Equalists were so disorderly and anyone could be planning a power-grab campaign.

It was only logical that he be put in charge with Amon's disappearance, as he was next in line for leadership. Although some people did not like "logical".

His electrified kali sticks were crossed on his back, giving him a bit of comfort.

Even though his leader had turned out to be a phony no-good _bender_ that had almost _killed_ him, the Lieutenant still felt the Equalist cause was true. Now that the Avatar could restore people's bending, the Triads were back in action, bullying non-benders even more than before.

Next to him, someone cleared his throat. "It is ready, Lieutenant."

The Lieutenant patted the youth on the shoulder. "Very good, Ryson. I knew you wouldn't fail me."

Ryson smirked and ushered the Lieutenant into the room, which was heavily padded on the walls, ceiling, and floors with high-grade platinum.

It was a long cylinder, capped on both ends with flat platinum platforms. In the middle of each was a circular door.

To any ordinary onlooker, it was just a large replica of the infamous drill used by the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War to breach the Outer Wall. But it was no drill.

The Lieutenant immediately knew what it was. "Excellent." He purred, already drinking in his victory.

"Yes. All that's left is the power source." Ryson said, tugging at his collar.

The Lieutenant groaned. "Ah, yes. The only things we need to sap every last drop of energy from every bender in the world are a few stinky zoo animals."

Ryson sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. But without them there is no chance to take back Republic City."

"Of course, you are right..." said the Lieutenant, "…Son."


	13. Dai Fema

**A/N: Yeah this chapter needs some serious editing, but I'm too lazy to do anything other than post it and go to bed. I kinda got the idea once I started getting sick yesterday. Sorry it's been such a long time since my last update. With school starting again, I've been busy with robotics, student council, orchestra, and my stupid math teacher. Review and let me know where I need to change stuff.**

Bolin sat nervously by the radio, biting his lip. Lena entered the room, carrying two steaming cups of tea. She took her place next to him and listened to the broadcast. The reporter's voice was fuzzy, due to the poor signal given off by the antenna, which was blocked by the rain pounding the streets outside.

"_No more cases of the dai fema virus have been reported, but all benders in Republic City and the surrounding areas are susceptible to this illness. So far there have been five deaths within the last twenty days."_

Lena sipped her tea thoughtfully while Bolin sighed and switched the radio off.

"We've been cooped up in here for the last week, Lena. I'm bored." Bolin complained.

"I am, too. But I don't want you getting sick before your first big pro-bending match. I told your brother I'd take care of you."

Lena stood and put her hands on Bolin's shoulders.

"Just a few more days." she insisted.

Bolin wrapped his arms around her waist and gently placed his lips on hers.

Lena wished she could have frozen time at that moment, with the rain splattering her windows and her fingers running through Bolin's hair, but he pulled away.

"I'm sorry, babe. I just gotta get out of here."

Lena sighed and nodded.

As Bolin headed for the door, Lena called out. "Wait!"

She scrambled to meet him in the hall, wrapping a scarf around her thick blonde locks and tugging a shoe onto her foot.

"You didn't think I'd let you go alone, did you?"

Bolin smiled and took her hand.

It was days like these when Lena looked the most beautiful, Bolin thought. She didn't wear any makeup, like Asami, and she wasn't trying to impress anyone, like Korra. Her beauty was the simplicity of her angelic face, the spring in her step, the little smile that crossed her face when she was trying to hold back a laugh. She hadn't even brushed her hair that day and she still looked stunning.

Bolin placed his arm around her waist as they strolled into the rain. Lena began moving her arms around her head, bending a shield of air around them so they wouldn't get wet walking through the streets of Republic city.

The ferry posed a problem, though. With no transportation to Air Temple Island, Bolin and Lena bent a bridge of stone across the water, adding on blocks of earth every time they advanced and letting the sections of bridge behind them crumble.

When they got the island, Lena dropped her air shield and let the rain soak through their clothes and hair. They rushed past the White Lotus sentries and into the pavilion. Mako met them by the door.

"Hey, Bo. I was wondering when I'd see you again." The brothers hugged. Mako nodded to Lena, who in turn, nodded back.

A group of monks strolled past, almost colliding with another group of sentries who were heading in the opposite direction.

"What's the rush?" Bo asked, jumping out of the way as a monk clutching an armful of scrolls hurried by.

"Everyone's been on edge ever since the dai fema virus broke out. They don't want any of the air benders catching it." Mako said.

Bolin's grasp on Lena's hand tightened, just a little.

"Have there been any cases on the island so far?" Lena asked.

"Not that we know of, but they're strictly monitoring the people who come and go. I'm surprised they let you guys in so easily."

Bolin and Lena exchanged nervous glances.

"What are the symptoms?" asked Bolin.

"As far as we know? Coughing, dry eyes, dry throat, and drowsiness. It's similar to the valley flu from the earth kingdom. They think dai fema originated somewhere in Omashu."

As the conversation carried on, a White Lotus Sentry stumbled by, pushing past Bolin and running head on into Lena, who caught him by the shoulders to keep him from falling over.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, trying to catch the man's eye.

He coughed into his fist and Looked at Lena with red eyes, blinking. He gulped and tried to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was a raspy noise.

Lena gasped.

"Lena, are you—" Bolin tried to approach her, but he was pushed back by a wall of air.

"Stay back!" she yelled. "Back!" Lena bent a wave of air through the room, keeping one hand on the sentry's shoulder, and forced everyone to the other side of the chamber.

"This guy's got dai fema." Lena said.

Two medics appeared and led the man off, while the rest of the room was ushered to the temporary infrirmary to be given check-ups.

Bolin led Lena to a quiet corner.

"Lena, that was brave and all, but I think you just blew your cover." He whispered.

She sighed. "I know, but we can't get the other air benders sick."

"What about you? You're an air bender!"

"I grew up in the earth kingdom. My immune system is used to fighting the valley flu. I'll be fine." Lena said.

Bolin nodded and ducked into the room with a medic while Lena waited nervously in the line for her own examination.

She coughed.


	14. Family Ties

"Lena, Tenzin wants to see you."

Lena whipped around to face Bolin, who had the grim face of a bearer-of-bad-news.

Lena took a deep, ragged breath to calm her quickening heartbeat, but to no avail.

"Okay." she answered, her voice hollow. As she started towards the pavilion, Bolin fell in step next to her, squeezing her hand.

"I'll be right there next to you." Bolin said comfortingly, his heart breaking a little as he looked at Lena's sad expression.

The rain had stopped and the sun was already peeking through the clouds, but neither of the pair had time to marvel at the beauty of nature.

They found Tenzin waiting for them in a small chamber off the main room, where a few cushions and a low table with tea had been set up.

Lena and Bolin sat cross-legged on the cushions, never letting go of each other's hand.

"Lena, my dear, there have been quite a few witness reports of you _air bending_ earlier. Is this true?"

Lena's breath caught in her chest. It was only the comforting presence of Bolin that got her to relax, just a little.

"Yes." she breathed, unsure of how else to answer.

An uneasy silence followed, but Lena soon found herself pouring out her heart about her visit to the spirit world.

She told Tenzin everything—from meeting the Odd Spirit to the prophecies Koh spoke of.

Bolin listened intently, never taking his eyes off of Lena and, eventually, placing an arm around her waist.

She began sobbing into his shoulder as she finished.

Tenzin waited for a moment before speaking again.

"I must say, that is a very unusual way to gain bending powers. Most are born with them but you, Lena, have been blessed with them. Earth _and_ air bending is no easy feat. I can only hope that—"

Tenzin broke off as a messenger strode into the room, wheezing and out of breath.

"I'm sorry, Master Tenzin, but I come with urgent news for Lena."

Lena stood, detaching herself from Bolin.

"Yes?" she asked anxiously, now worried.

"Your family has fallen ill under the Dai Fema virus... I'm afraid your grandmother has already succumbed to it."

"Where are they?"

"The little mountain pass between Omashu and Ba Sing Se... I'm not sure of their exact location, but—"

Lena cut him off. "I know where they are."

Lena bowed to Tenzin. "I'm sorry, but I have to go to my family."

Tenzin nodded, face expressionless. "It is understandable. I wish to talk to you more, but that can be arranged for later." He began to leave the room, but something crossed his mind and he stopped. "You can take one of our gliders, if you like. It is much faster to travel to the Earth Kingdom by air."

Lena nodded. She should have been excited, but her only thoughts were of her family now—of poor father and mother, of her Grandmother who had gone to be with her love.

As Lena headed out of the pavilion, Bolin rushed after her.

"Wait!" he called, grasping her shoulders.

Lena blinked tears out of her eyes. She knew she was wasting precious time, but Bolin was worth it.

"I'm sorry, Bolin. I have to leave."

He found himself nodding, but he was screaming for her not to go on the inside.

His lips collided with hers in a fury of fiery passion. The kiss was steamy and it melted Lena on the inside, making the world around them go fuzzy and fade, but neither of them broke away. Bolin had never kissed her like that, but she liked it. His rough hands grazed the soft skin of her cheeks, and Lena found herself grabbing his shirt, trying to pull him further into her.

At last they both pulled back, panting softly.

For a moment their eyes met, and Bolin wanted to do it all over again, but Lena backed away, knowing she had to leave.

She extended the glider, testing its weight, before it was caught on a breeze and began gently lifting her into the sky.

"I love you." she called over her shoulder.

She was carried too far away before Bolin could respond, although he found himself whispering, "I love you too."


End file.
